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The Take Away: GMR All-Star Weekend (Hot 100)

In their 3rd annual showcase event, Get Me Recruited and staff decided to switch things up this year. After the success of both the high school Super 60 and the middle school Hot 100, they decided to combine both events into one All-Star weekend. It gave an opportunity for scouts and audiences to witness not only the talented high school players, but the up and comers following in their footsteps as North Carolina’s basketball elite. In this article, the focus is put on the middle schoolers who are expected to pick up the reigns and carry on the HoopState tradition of stellar basketball players. There were tons of players that were unforgettable and kids you definitely want to keep an eye on, but here are the ones that stood out above the rest:

Marcus Elliott running the half-court set!

Marcus Elliott is a young player that continues to get better. He arguably had one of the best outings in the entire Hot 100. The “lucky lefty” put his skill-set on display as he showcased everything from his slick handle to his smooth jumper. Elliott’s silky jumper has a high arch and good rotation. He’s able to pull-up off the bounce or spot-up to knock the shot down. His handle is an added bonus for situations where he is chased off the line or being tightly guarded. In those scenarios he can either shake his man and get to the basket or create space to get his shot off. Although it’s not clear at the moment, Elliott has the skill and know how to play either the point guard or shooting guard position. What he’ll actually be depends on his growth and development. On the defensive end he does a good job strapping up and staying in front of his man. He doesn’t shy away or slack off, which is impressive in this day and age because defense is becoming less of a priority, especially with younger players. Overall, Elliott is definitely one to keep an eye on this summer as he runs with the 2020 Garner Road Bulldogs.

McCorkle starting the fastbreak!

Carson McCorkle is definitely one to watch. He’s easily one of, if not, the most athletic kid in the state in the class of 2020, but, that’s not all! McCorkle is a flat-out baller with a bag of tricks. Standing roughly at 6’1, he’s well coordinated, has a good motor, and high energy. At this point, he doesn’t do one thing “great,” but he does a bunch of things well! Ultimately, this makes McCorkle a multidimensional player who’s a dynamic overall threat. If you leave him open, he’ll knock down the jumper. If you guard him too closely he’ll blow by you and get to the basket. Last, but not least, if you try to meet him at the rim he’ll dunk on you. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY! The six foot one 8th grader will meet you at the rim and dunk on you – which he proved multiple times during the Hot 100 event. McCorkle is impressive on defense, especially when covering the passing lanes and on the help side. With his athletic abilities, it’s easy for him to catch the offense by surprise. As he continues to grow and develop, he’ll need to get better at absorbing the contact on offense and using his lateral quickness to keep his man in front of him on defense. Overall, as he progresses, McCorkle will definitely be the focus of a lot of college coaches.

Evans defending the paint!

If there was a measurement for potential Myles Evans would be off the charts. Already standing at approximately 6’6, he literally towers over the competition. The C/O 2020 big man has soft hands around the rim with a light touch. Evans does a great job being active on defense, especially challenging and altering shots. He gets after everything that comes off the rim on both ends of the floor. Evans also does a great job running the floor and getting into position. He shows flashes of his smooth 15 foot jumper, which catches the defense off guard. What he’ll need to improve on is his coordination/footwork, athleticism, and ferocity. As his development continues Evans has to become a master at posting up and sealing his defender so he can get more touches when he’s in the paint. Then he’ll need to have 2-3 post moves once he gets the ball in the paint. As Evans athleticism catches up with his size, he’ll have the opportunity to become one of the most intimidating big men in the state. There’s not one doubt that college coaches won’t be beating down his door by the time it’s all said and done for his high school career if he continues to get improve.

Randolph facing the full-court defense!

There wasn’t a better shooter in the Hot 100 than Callin Randolph. He’s armed with a cannon and can fire from deep! Every single time he shoots, it’s the same way. He has picture perfect form – elbow tucked, shoulders squared, releases at the top of his jump, flicks the wrist and holds his form. It’s wonderful to watch because it’s evident that Randolph put in countless hours to get his jumper to this point. He also does a good job at reading the floor and making decisions based off of the situation(s) he’s in. He has the vision to see the floor and the ability to make good passes. To be this young and play as smart as he does should be considered a talent. The only knock on him at this moment is his quickness, which he makes up for in effort. With Randolph it’s the intangibles that standout which will get him over any hurdle on the court. He’s going to be the player that doesn’t seem like he’s doing much but by the time the game is over he will have filled up the stat sheet. With is work ethic (which shows through his game), it’ll be exciting to watch him transition to the high school game and make an immediate impact.

Case going up for the lay-in!

Wesley Case is a player with a none stop motor. His style of play reminds you of a middle fielder in soccer, he just doesn’t stop going. Pesky and persistent on defense and a striker on offense, he has the ability to impact the game without scoring a single point – a coach’s dream! This is not the case though, not only can he score, he can score in bunches simply by out working everyone else! Case is also a solid shooter and a consistent finisher around the rim. His strength lies in his hounding defense as he’s able to disrupt the offense and turn it into fastbreak points. Case keeps the offense on edge because he is so bothersome and makes nothing easy. He’s also deceptively athletic which catches the opposition off guard on both ends of the court.

Mason slashing to the rim for the lay-up!

Another player that showed a world of potential in the Hot 100 was Team Felton’s Silas Mason. Standing right around 6’3/6’4, he has an all-around skill set that doesn’t limit him to one position on the court. Mason has the size of a (middle school) small forward and the handle of a point guard. He’s quick on his feet and dynamic in the open floor. Along with his size, Mason has long limbs that allow him to be a match-up nightmare on offense and defense. At this stage he can easily guard positions 1 – 5, and next year in high school he’ll be able to defend guards and some small forwards. He has the ability to see, shoot and pass over smaller defenders. If you put a bigger player on him, Mason has the quickness to blow pass him and easily get to the basket. He can also play above the rim, making it that much more challenging to defend him. During the Hot 100 he was able to catch a mean “body” which turned out to be one of the top highlights at the event. As he progresses, Mason will need to develop his situational awareness – knowing when to take advantage of a smaller defender; knowing when to go by his man; knowing when to stop and pull-up for the jumper, etc. As he learns to master these things, along with his overall improvement of his basketball IQ, Mason will easily find himself in the list of top players coming out of the HoopState!

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